Foreign creditors are not humanitarians

The manipulation of statements regarding loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has crossed all normal boundaries. Every day we hear "money is coming from the IMF, they will give us so and so many millions. Our money from the IMF is blocked by them. The IMF has approved another so many millions to be paid to us. The IMF tranche is arriving. Our money from the IMF will boost the economy and so on..."

There is no end to the joy when one listens to the representatives of the authorities.

Listening to their statements, citizens begin to think that foreign creditors are some kind of humanitarians who are helping us and supporting this government, while the opposition is only creating problems and preventing "our" money from reaching us.

To be clear, the IMF, the World Bank, and others are CREDITORS; they give us new loans to repay their, I emphasize their, old loans. Yes, they give them under much better conditions than commercial banks and better than what treasury bonds and other loans cost us, but they also demand changes in the country that will guarantee the repayment of their loans. Delays in this lending are only a consequence of the irresponsible behavior of the authorities, who fail to fulfill what was agreed upon each time. Due to such behavior of the authorities, international creditors have changed their working methods and no longer adhere to deadlines but to the fulfillment of agreements. Therefore, it must be clear to citizens that we cannot even get a loan on time because the representatives of the authorities cannot agree, as their attempt at joint deception against the international community has failed, so now they are deceiving each other.

BiH belongs to G77, i.e., 77 developing countries, and many things need to be done for it to enter the circle of developed countries. Until that happens, citizens must know that with every day of system blockade, politicians are leading the entire country deeper into problems. That is why, whenever they boast about GDP growth and other economic parameters, we should just remember that we are one of the 77 developing countries, along with Djibouti, Sudan, and similar countries.

When they talk about debt according to Maastricht (which is linked to the DEVELOPED countries of the European Union, not developing countries), they convince citizens that we are not over-indebted. Again, manipulation and again, untruth. The World Bank has long defined that developing countries, like BiH, should not borrow more than 40 percent because they do not have a developed economy that can repay borrowed money. And when you don't have the capacity in the country for the economy to repay loans, then creditors demand that you introduce EXCISE TAXES and other taxes so that they can get their money back.

The current government in BiH has not initiated anything except to intensify the collection of taxes and indirect taxes at the expense of small businesses and small entrepreneurs, as well as small importers.

To avoid misunderstandings, a wave of price increases will cover the country in the coming months, because a 10 percent excise tax on fuel and a 20 percent increase in oil prices on the world stock market will inevitably lead to an increase in inflation in BiH and to the fact that everything currently being done behind the citizens' backs has absolutely no positive effect for them.

Therefore, the government that will be formed after the 2018 elections must sign an agreement on the method of work in every segment, as all European countries do. Public procurement, borrowing, and all expenses must be public and justified. Every topic, from joining the EU to social benefits, economic development, the pension system, and healthcare, must be the subject of a coalition agreement and acceptance of responsibility for what is signed.

When in 2018 we form a government that is not based solely on the division of positions, or "spoils," then we will lead the country and all its citizens on a path that will restore faith in the future.

Enough of the false story that we should all be equal in poverty; let's all be equal in wealth.